CORDIS OpenAire Sygma Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE) HAL-INSU Crossref Microsoft Academic Graph Europe PubMed Central HAL INRAE UnpayWall HAL Descartes OpenAPC Global Initiative PubMed Central HAL-CEA European Union Open Data Portal https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/gcb.15547 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15547 Global Change Biology Open Access 2021-02-06 2021-05-01 Abstract<p>Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks is a promising way to mitigate the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration. Based on a simple ratio between CO2 anthropogenic emissions and SOC stocks worldwide, it has been suggested that a 0.4% (4 per 1000) yearly increase in SOC stocks could compensate for current anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Here, we used a reverse RothC modelling approach to estimate the amount of C inputs to soils required to sustain current SOC stocks and to increase them by 4￢ﾀﾰ per year over a period of 30ￂﾠyears. We assessed the feasibility of this aspirational target first by comparing the required C input with net primary productivity (NPP) flowing to the soil, and second by considering the SOC saturation concept. Calculations were performed for mainland France, at a 1ￂﾠkm grid cell resolution. Results showed that a 30%￢ﾀﾓ40% increase in C inputs to soil would be needed to obtain a 4￢ﾀﾰ increase per year over a 30￢ﾀﾐyear period. 88.4% of cropland areas were considered unsaturated in terms of mineral￢ﾀﾐassociated SOC, but characterized by a below target C balance, that is, less NPP available than required to reach the 4￢ﾀﾰ aspirational target. Conversely, 90.4% of unimproved grasslands were characterized by an above target C balance, that is, enough NPP to reach the 4￢ﾀﾰ objective, but 59.1% were also saturated. The situation of improved grasslands and forests was more evenly distributed among the four categories (saturated vs. unsaturated and above vs below target C balance). Future data from soil monitoring networks should enable to validate these results. Overall, our results suggest that, for mainland France, priorities should be (1) to increase NPP returns in cropland soils that are unsaturated and have a below target carbon balance and (2) to preserve SOC stocks in other land uses.</p> [SDV.SA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences Carbon Sequestration 550 [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes RothC 01 natural sciences 630 climate change mitigation Soil 4 per 1000 net primary productivity [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces, environment 0105 earth and related environmental sciences [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean, Atmosphere 2. Zero hunger [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean [SDV.SA] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences Atmosphere [SDU.OCEAN] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean, Atmosphere 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences 15. Life on land Primary Research Articles [SDU.ENVI] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces, environment Carbon soil organic carbon [SDE.MCG] Environmental Sciences/Global Changes 13. Climate action SOC saturation Feasibility Studies 0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries France [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces environment Manuel P. Martin, Bassem Dimassi, Mercedes Román Dobarco, Bertrand Guenet, Dominique Arrouays, Denis A. Angers, Fabrice Blache, Frédéric Huard, Jean‐François Soussana, Sylvain Pellerin, 2021-04-08 journalpaper Abstract<p>Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks is a promising way to mitigate the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration. Based on a simple ratio between CO2 anthropogenic emissions and SOC stocks worldwide, it has been suggested that a 0.4% (4 per 1000) yearly increase in SOC stocks could compensate for current anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Here, we used a reverse RothC modelling approach to estimate the amount of C inputs to soils required to sustain current SOC stocks and to increase them by 4￢ﾀﾰ per year over a period of 30ￂﾠyears. We assessed the feasibility of this aspirational target first by comparing the required C input with net primary productivity (NPP) flowing to the soil, and second by considering the SOC saturation concept. Calculations were performed for mainland France, at a 1ￂﾠkm grid cell resolution. Results showed that a 30%￢ﾀﾓ40% increase in C inputs to soil would be needed to obtain a 4￢ﾀﾰ increase per year over a 30￢ﾀﾐyear period. 88.4% of cropland areas were considered unsaturated in terms of mineral￢ﾀﾐassociated SOC, but characterized by a below target C balance, that is, less NPP available than required to reach the 4￢ﾀﾰ aspirational target. Conversely, 90.4% of unimproved grasslands were characterized by an above target C balance, that is, enough NPP to reach the 4￢ﾀﾰ objective, but 59.1% were also saturated. The situation of improved grasslands and forests was more evenly distributed among the four categories (saturated vs. unsaturated and above vs below target C balance). Future data from soil monitoring networks should enable to validate these results. Overall, our results suggest that, for mainland France, priorities should be (1) to increase NPP returns in cropland soils that are unsaturated and have a below target carbon balance and (2) to preserve SOC stocks in other land uses.</p> Feasibility of the 4 per 1000 aspirational target for soil carbon: A case study for France 10.1111/gcb.15547